US 377877
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
DANIEL B. WESSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.
BARREL-CATCH DEVICE FOR REVOLVERS.
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,877, dated February 14, 1888.
Application filed October 10, 1887. Serial No. 251,900. (No model.)
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, DANIEL B. WESSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Revolving Fire-Arms, of which the following is a specification.
This invention relates to revolving fire-arms, and pertains to improvements in barrel-catch mechanism therefor; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts of the above-referred-to mechanism, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim.
In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the frame of a revolving fire-arm and of the rear end of the barrel-strap embodying barrel-catch devices constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of said frame disconnected from said barrel-strap. Fig. 3 is a sectional perspective view of the rear end of the barrel strap. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the catch-dog which is pivoted in said strap. All of said figures are drawn on an enlarged scale.
The object of this invention is to provide an improved catch-dog for the barrel-strap of the arm, which will automatically engage with the rear side of the catch-post when the arm is closed, and which is so constructed and pivoted in said strap that it is conveniently manipulated by the fingers and without the use of a lever to disengage it from said post, so that the arm may be opened.
In the drawings, 3 indicates a part of the upper portion of the frame of a revolving fire-arm at the rear of the cylinder, and 4 is the catch-post projecting upwardly on the top of said frame. A suitable recess is formed in the rear side of said catch-post to produce a shoulder, 5, or notch, with which a catch-dog below described may engage to lock the arm in a closed position.
The barrel-strap 6 is the well-known extension from the rear end of the barrel of a revolver over the cylinder to the frame 3 at the rear of the latter, and said strap has a perforation, 7, through it near its extremity, which SO receives the said catch-post 4 when the arm is shut, as shown in Fig. 1. Just back of said perforation 7 in the barrel-strap, and opening into a portion of the rear side of said perforation, a recess or chamber, 8, is formed to receive said catch-dog. The inclined portions 9 of the rear side of said perforation 7 come to a firm bearing against the inclined rear side of the catch-post when the arm is closed and serve to draw the barrel up to proper position. Only one of said inclined portions of the rear side of the perforation 7 is shown in the drawings. (See Fig. 3.)
The catch-dog 9 (shown in Fig. 4 and in operative position in Fig.1) in the barrel-strap 6 is pivoted by the pin 10 in said chamber 8. Said dog has an engaging edge or tooth, 12, across the side thereof adjoining the rear side of the catch-post perforation 7, which engages with said notch 5 in the rear side of the catch post when the arm is closed, as in Fig. 1 a spring, 13, behind the dog acting to swing the upper end of the latter toward said post. Two laterally-projecting arms or finger-pieces, 14, are formed on the upper end of the dog 9, whose ends are roughened or checked, and said dog is fitted into the end of the barrel strap, as shown in Fig. 1.
In operating said barrel-catch devices to open the arm the checked ends 14 of the catch dog are grasped between the finger and thumb, and by pulling directly backward the upper end of the dog is caused to swing away from the catch-post, thereby drawing the tooth 12 thereof out of engagement with said post and leaving the arm free to be opened. When the dog is again freed, the spring 13 swings it forward, so that when the arm is closed the catch dog again engages with the post 4 and holds it locked, the spring 13 serving to retain the dog in said locked position.
What I claim as my invention is–
Barrel-catch devices for revolving fire-arms, consisting of the combination, with the catch post of the arm, having a notch, 5, in its rear side, of the barrel-strap 6, having a perforation to receive said catch-post, a catch-dog pivoted in said strap at one side of said perforation capable of engaging with said notched post, and having laterally-projecting finger pieces thereon, and a spring to swing said dog against said post, substantially as set forth.
DANIEL B. WESSON.
Witnesses:
H. A. CHAPIN,
G. M. CHAMBERLAIN.